Salma Al-Shehab is a women’s rights defender and academic who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia solely for posting on social media in support of women’s rights. Al-Shehab was arrested in January 2021 after travelling from the UK, where she was studying for her PhD, to spend the holiday with her family in Saudi Arabia. In March 2022, the Specialised Criminal Court, intended for charges of terrorism but often used instead against human rights defenders, sentenced her to six years in prison for her posts on X (formerly Twitter). In August 2022, this sentence was increased to 34 years, followed by a 34 year travel ban. At the time, this was the most severe sentence a peaceful activist had ever received for social media posts in Saudi Arabia. On 25 January 2023, the sentence was reduced to 27 years in prison, followed by a 27-year travel ban. 

On 10 February 2025, Al-Shehab was among those who were released after spending four years in prison. On 25 September 2024, her sentence was reportedly reduced on appeal from 27 years to four years in prison prior to her release. She remains under travel ban.